Church of The Nazarene

Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination that

Church of the Nazarene
emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-
Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in
Lenexa, Kansas.[1][2] With its members commonly referred to as
Nazarenes, it is the largest denomination in the world aligned
with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement and is a member of the
World Methodist Council.
Mission and vision

Seal of the Church of the Nazarene
The mission of the Church of the Nazarene is taken from the Classification Protestant
Great Commission in Matthew 28. "To make Christlike disciples
in the nations" was adopted in 2006 as the Church's mission Orientation Wesleyan–
statement.[3][4] In 2009 it refined that mission statement to be Holiness[1]
expressed by "making disciples through evangelism, education, Theology Methodist[2]
showing compassion, working for justice, and bearing witness to
Polity Mixed: elements
the kingdom of God."[5]
of
The denominational vision is: "to be a disciple-making church, an Congregationalist,
international community of faith, in the Wesleyan-Holiness Presbyterian,
tradition."[6] and Episcopal
polities
Associations Christian Holiness
Core values
Partnership;
Since 2001, the three "core values" of the Church have been Wesleyan
identified as "Christian, Holiness, Missional".[7] In 2013, the Holiness
Church adopted seven characteristics to express the core values Connection;
which are meaningful worship, theological coherence, passionate National
evangelicalism, intentional discipleship, church development, Association of
transformational leadership, and purposeful compassion. Evangelicals;
World Methodist
The guiding principles for the Church are found in a book called
Council;
The Manual for the Church of the Nazarene (also referred to as
just The Manual) and it is updated every four years during a Global Wesleyan
convention called General Assembly. General Assembly is "the Alliance
supreme doctrine-formulating and lawmaking body of the Church Region Global
of the Nazarene". The Manual is the official statement of faith and
Headquarters Lenexa, Johnson
practice of the church... and therefore authoritative as a guide for
County, Kansas
action."[8]
United States
Founder Include: Phineas
F. Bresee,
Hiram F.
The Manual includes a brief historical statement of the Reynolds,
denomination; the sixteen core beliefs, or Articles of Faith; its William Howard
Constitution details the Church polity; and guidance on living a Hoople,
contemporary Christian lifestyle. Mary Lee Cagle,
Robert Lee
History Harris,
J.B. Chapman,
The Church of the Nazarene is the product of a series of mergers and C. W. Ruth
that occurred between various holiness churches, associations and
Origin October 13, 1908
denominations throughout the 20th century, with roots starting in
Pilot Point, Texas,
the 1880s.[9] Churches with similar points of view concentrated in
U.S.
New England, California and Texas agreed to meet and align
more formally as one denomination. The first of these meetings Branched from Church of the
was in Chicago, Illinois followed by Pilot Point, Texas, in 1908 Nazarene (1895),
and 1907 respectively. These meetings, now known as General Association of
Assemblies, resulted in the formation of the Church of the Pentecostal
Nazarene, as it appears today, and with a centralized Churches of
denominational headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. America (1897),
and Holiness
Formation and early years (1890–1907) Church of Christ
(1904)
The origins of the Church of the Nazarene today have seeds in the Merger of 15 Holiness
Third Great Awakening period in America. In October 1895, Dr. denominations
Bresee and Dr. Widney founded a church in downtown Los
1907–1988
Angeles to refocus the Methodist Episcopal Church on serving the
poor living in cities, under the name Church of the Nazarene. Separations Pentecost-Pilgrim
Groups with similar beliefs along the east coast known as the Church (1917)
Association of Pentecostal Churches of America, which itself Bible Missionary
was a merger of two older denominations dating back to 1890 Church (1955)
called The Central Evangelical Holiness Association, were led Holiness Church
by Fred A. Hillery, C. Howard Davis and William Howard of the Nazarene
Hoople. On November 12, 1896, these two groups met in (1958)
Brooklyn and agreed to merge, which included retaining the name
Church of the
and Manual of Hoople's group.[10] Both the east coast churches
Bible Covenant
and Bresee's west coast church met in Chicago from October 10–
17, 1907, and decided to merge into a new church named The (1967)
Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. This has since been Congregations 31,049 (2020)
considered the First General Assembly of the Church. At the time Members 2,640,216 (2020)
of its merger with the Church of the Nazarene in 1907, the APCA
existed principally from Nova Scotia to Iowa and the northeastern Official website nazarene.org (htt
United States. ps://nazarene.or
g)
In April 1908 Bresee accepted Edgar P. Ellyson, president of the
Holiness University of Texas of Peniel, Texas; his wife, Mary Emily Ellyson; and its members of the
Holiness Association of Texas into the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.[11] In September 1908 the
Pennsylvania Conference of the Holiness Christian Church under the leadership of Horace G. Trumbauer
merged with the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.[12]
The newly merged east and west coast branches now focused on
merging with the Holiness Church of Christ in the southern
United States. The Holiness Church of Christ itself was the merger
of the New Testament Church of Christ (founded in July 1894 in
Milan, Tennessee by R.L. Harris, but soon led by his widow Mary
Lee Cagle),[13] and a group (also called the Holiness Church of
Christ), that formed in November 1904 at Rising Star, Texas from
the prior merger of The Holiness Church (founded in 1888 in
Texas) and the Independent Holiness Church formed at Van
Alstyne, Texas, in 1901, and led by Charles B. Jernigan and J.B.
Chapman.[14]
The merger of the Holiness Church of Christ in the south and the
Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene took place on Tuesday,
October 13, 1908, at 10:40 am, "amid great shouts of joy and holy
enthusiasm."[15] This is considered to be the Second General
Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene. The latter date marks the
"official" founding date. Bresee, Reynolds and Ellyson were Phineas Bresee sought to return to
elected general superintendents. The newly merged Church of the John Wesley's original goals of
Nazarene began with 10,034 members, 228 congregations, 11 preaching the good news of the
districts, and 19 missionaries.[16] gospel to the poor and
underprivileged.
Other independent bodies joined at later dates, including the
Pentecostal Church of Scotland (founded in 1909 by Rev.
George Sharpe) and the Pentecostal Mission (founded in 1898 by J.O. McClurkan), both in 1915. In the
1922, more than one thousand members and most of the workers led by Joseph G. Morrison, from the
Laymen's Holiness Association (founded in 1917) located in the Dakotas, joined the Church of the
Nazarene. Additional smaller churches would be merged into the Nazarene Church during the 1940-
60s.[17]
Denominational name
The name of the denomination comes from the biblical description of Jesus Christ, who had been raised in
the village of Nazareth, Israel, and using the demonym of Nazarene. Jesus, and later his followers, is called
a Nazarene in several bible verses, as well as many bible translations, such as the NASB Bible and
KJV.[18] It was first used in October 1895 by Dr. Phineas F. Bresee's church based in downtown Los
Angeles, California.
It was first recommended by Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney, a former

president of the University of Southern California and an influential
figure in the early days of the Church of the Nazarene on the West
Coast. The denomination started as a church that ministered to the
homeless and poor, and wanted to keep that attitude of ministering
to "lower classes" of society.
Bresee's west coast portion met with similar holiness churches

based in south and along the east coast of the United States. The
southern churches were under the name Association of Pentecostal
Churches of America. To reflect the both denominational tributaries
Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney
the newly formed merged church operated under the title the
Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene.
The term "Pentecostal" in the church's original name soon proved to be increasingly problematic. Inside the
Wesleyan-holiness movement, the word was used widely as a synonym simply for "holiness". However,
the rise of 20th century Pentecostalism, especially after 1906, new meanings and associations, "particularly
in regards to charismatic gifts like speaking in tongues,"[19] attached themselves to the term – meanings that
the Pentecostal Nazarenes rejected.
In 1919 at the fifth General Assembly in Nashville, the Church voted to remove the word "Pentecostal"
from the church name, returning to Breese's Los Angeles' Church name, simply as Church of the
Nazarene.[20]
The First Century (1907-2008)
By 1908, there were churches in Canada and organized work in

India, Eswatini, Cape Verde, and Japan, soon followed by work in
central Africa, Mexico, and China. The 1915 mergers added
congregations in the British Isles and work in Cuba, Central
America, and South America. There were congregations in Syria
and Palestine by 1922. General Superintendent Reynolds
advocated "a mission to the world", and support for world
evangelization became a distinguishing characteristic of Nazarene
life. Taking advantage of new technologies, the church began
Former International Headquarters of
producing the Showers of Blessing radio program in the 1940s, the Church of the Nazarene, Kansas
followed by the Spanish broadcast La Hora Nazarena and later by City
broadcasts in other languages. At the time of the 50th anniversary
of the denomination in October 1958, a total of 19.8% of all
Nazarenes lived outside the continental United States, and by 2008, that number was close to 45%. By
2020, the number of Nazarene members living outside of the USA is around 75%.[21]
Hiram F. Reynolds, championed the church to grow outside of the United States. Influenced by the
indigenous church mission theories of Anglican Henry Venn and American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions secretary Rufus Anderson, from the beginning of the global expansion of the Church of
the Nazarene, there was a commitment to the development of indigenous churches and districts within the
framework of a unitary global denomination under the authority of the Manual.[22] As early as March 3,
1914, Nazarene mission policy developed for the work in Japan by Reynolds encouraged the creation of
"self-supporting and self-governing churches.
By the 1930s, Nazarene missions leaders "did not aim toward the development of autonomous national
churches, but a federation of districts. They did not plan for indefinite missionary control. Without a great
deal of thought about where this would lead, without consciously copying any other denomination's model
of church government, and without much theological reflection, the Church of the Nazarene became an
international body." The first non-missionary district superintendents were George Sharpe in Britain and
Vicente G. Santin, appointed district superintendent in Mexico in 1919.[23]
In January 1936 the General Board divided the Japan District into two, and the Western or Kwansai district
became the first regular district in the denomination, "with all the rights and privileges of any of the North
American and British Isles districts subject to the Manual and the General Assembly", however the effects
of World War II on the church in Japan saw the two districts reunified and revert to a missionary-led
district.[24]
The process of internationalization, a deliberate policy of being one church of congregations and districts
worldwide, rather than splitting into national churches like earlier Protestant denominations started in 1964
at the General Assembly in Portland, Oregon. With the founding parents of the church gone, the next
generation of leaders struggled with interpreting the vision they were given. These main struggles dealt
with speaking in tongues and legalism, which the majority of churches that broke away from the Nazarene
church doing so in the 1960s.
At the General Assembly held in 1972 in Miami Beach, Florida, the Church adopted several policies, now
known as the Covenant of Christian Conduct into The Manual. These included statements advising how a
Nazarene should view and act in regards to contemporary social issues, like abortion, human sexuality,
gambling, and entertainment. These are still a feature of The Manual, the wording of which are updated
and adjusted every four years at the General Assembly. It was only in 1972 that the general secretary of the
church began to include overseas membership in reporting totals, as prior to this time it had been difficult to
collect the needed data.[25]
In 1974 the Nazarene Young Peoples Society (now Nazarene Youth International) in its desire to be more
inclusive, held its fifth International Institute on the campus of European Nazarene Bible College in
Büsingen, Germany, the first one held outside the United States. In 1978 the Church fully integrated some
of its segregated church in the American South by merging the Black overlay Districts into their respective
geographic main districts. Even though women have been allowed to preach since the churches inception,
promotion to higher ranking leadership levels was not church practice. In 1988, the church had only
promoted 2 women to the District Superintendent levels. The first of which was in 1926.[26]
2000 marked the peak of membership in the Church in the United States. By the 2001 General Assembly,
held in Indianapolis, 42 percent of delegates were not native English speakers. As many elected delegates
from outside the United States could not attend the General Assembly due to US immigration policies,
financial or other reasons, the General Assembly authorized the creation of "a committee to address the
concern that a high percentage of non-North American/non-United States delegates are unable to attend a
General Assembly". 2003 had the largest Nazarene Youth Conference to date with 12,000 students meeting
in Houston, Texas. In 2005, the General Assembly elected the first person of color and 2nd non-US
resident, as well as the first woman (Nina Gunter) to the General Superintendent office.
As the Church approached its 100th anniversary, the Board of

General Superintendents decided to have regional and local
Centennial celebrations rather than one global gathering. It also
made a controversial move from downtown Kansas City into
Lenexa, Kansas, which was seen as abandoning the primary call of
ministering to the inner cities. The new Global Ministry Center The Global Ministry Center, designed
opened in 2008, centralized many of the church's departments in by 360 Architecture, in Lenexa
one building, versus the campus style of the former Headquarters opened in 2008
building. [27]
Separations
Throughout its history, there have been several groups that separated from the Church of the Nazarene to
form new denominations. Among the new denominations formed by those seceding or being expelled from
the Church of the Nazarene are: the People's Mission Church (1912); the Pentecost Pilgrim Church
(1917); the Bible Missionary Church (1955); the Holiness Church of the Nazarene (1961) in the
Philippines; the Church of the Bible Covenant (1967); the Crusaders Churches of the United States of
America (1972); and the Fellowship of Charismatic Nazarenes (1977). Most of those were a result of
differences on the use of charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit in church services. Individual churches have
also left to become independent, although this is still rare. Most notably Gold Creek Community Church in
Washington became non-denominational in 2012.
The Second Century (2009-present)
At the 2009 General Assembly the delegates voted to create a global Manual that would be streamlined in
comparison to recent Manuals, consist of the foreword, and Parts I, II, and III of the current Manual, and
would also include parts of the Manual that are global in scope, retaining the universally appropriate polity
and principles." The General Assembly authorized the different regions to adapt the Manual to fit specific
cultural contexts and would function as a "regional Manual policy handbook."[5]
In 2017, the Church elected 2 more people of color and one more woman (Carla Sunburg) to fill vacancies
in the Board of General Superintendents. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the church worked to
provide medical help to its world areas. It also postponed its General Assembly until 2023. The 2023
General Assembly delegates elected Christian Sarmiento, was the 45th General Superintendent and 5th
person who is a non-US resident.
Theology and doctrine

The Church of the Nazarene is a Methodist denomination that emerged during the holiness movement.[2]
The official doctrines of the Church of the Nazarene are published in the Manual: Church of the Nazarene,
which is published quadrennially after the General Assembly, the primary convention and gathering of
Nazarenes, at which leaders are elected, and amendments and suggestions are incorporated into the
Manual. The Manual is published in print, and is available online at the Nazarene Church's website.[28]
Nazarenes have established 16 "Articles of Faith" as a guiding principle for living Christianity. The
"Articles" include the following: one eternal self-existent God manifest in a Trinity; the divinity of Jesus
and the Holy Spirit; the authority of the Bible; Original and Personal Sin; the work of atonement;
prevenient grace; the need for repentance; justification, regeneration, and adoption; entire sanctification; the
church; creedal baptism; the Lord's Supper for all believers; divine healing; the return of Jesus Christ; and
the resurrection of the dead.[29] A key outgrowth of this theology is the commitment of Nazarenes not only
to the Evangelical Gospel of repentance and a personal relationship with God, but also to compassionate
ministry to the poor.
While there is no official theology text authorized by the denomination, there are several that have been
widely used in the pre-ordination training course for ministers. In the early years of the denomination,
books by John Miley and William Burt Pope were used. The most influential theologians within the Church
of the Nazarene have been Edgar P. Ellyson, A.M. Hills, H. Orton Wiley, Mildred Bangs Wynkoop,
Richard S. Taylor, H. Ray Dunning, and J. Kenneth Grider. Contemporary Nazarene theologians include
Craig Keen, Michael Lodahl, Samuel M. Powell, Bryan Stone, Rob Staples, and Thomas A. Noble.
Arminianism
The Church of the Nazarene stands in the Arminian tradition of free grace for all and human freedom to
choose to partake of that saving grace. The Nazarene Church distinguishes itself from many other
Protestant churches because of its belief that God's Holy Spirit empowers Christians to be constantly
obedient to God—similar to the belief of other churches in the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The
Nazarene Church does not believe that a Christian is helpless to sin every day. Rather, it teaches that sin
should be the rare exception in the life of a sanctified Christian. Also, there exists the belief in entire
sanctification, the idea that a person can have a relationship of entire devotion to God in which they are no
longer under the influence of original sin. This means that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, people can
be changed so as to be able to live a holy life for the glory of God. The concept of entire sanctification (also
called Christian perfection and Baptism with the Holy Ghost) stems from John Wesley's teaching. This is
interpreted on a variety of different levels; as with any denomination, certain believers interpret the theology
more rigidly and others less so.
In recent years, Nazarene theologians have increasingly understood the movement's distinctive theological
doctrine, entire sanctification, as best understood in terms of love. Love is the core notion of the various
understandings of holiness and sanctification found in the Bible. Christians are called to love when in
relation to God and others.[30]
Distinctive Wesleyan emphases
The spiritual vision of early Nazarenes was derived from the doctrinal core of John Wesley's preaching and
the holiness movement of the 19th century. The affirmations of the church include justification by grace
through faith alone in Jesus Christ, sanctification by grace through faith united with good works, entire
sanctification as an inheritance available to every Christian, and the witness of the Spirit to God's work in
human lives. The holiness movement arose in the 1830s to promote these doctrines, especially Entire
Sanctification, but splintered by 1900. The Church of the Nazarene remains committed to Christian
holiness. The key emphasis of Wesley's theology relates to how Divine grace operates within the
individual. Wesley defined the Way of Salvation as the operation of grace in at least three parts: Prevenient
Grace, Justifying Grace, and Sanctifying Grace.
Prevenient grace, or the grace that "goes before" us, is given to all people. It is that power which enables us
to love and motivates us to seek a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.[31] This grace is the present
work of God to turn us from our sin-corrupted human will to the loving will of the Father. In this work,
God desires that we might sense both our sinfulness before God and God's offer of salvation. Prevenient
grace allows those tainted by sin to nevertheless make a truly free choice to accept or reject God's salvation
in Christ.[31]
Justifying Grace, or Accepting Grace,[31] is the grace offered by God to all people, that we receive by faith
and trust in Christ, through which God pardons the believer of sin. It is in justifying grace we are received
by God, in spite of our sin. In this reception, we are forgiven through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on
the cross. The justifying grace cancels our guilt and empowers us to resist the power of sin and to fully love
God and neighbor. Today, justifying grace is also known as conversion, "accepting Jesus as your personal
Lord and Savior", or being "born again".[31][32] John Wesley originally called this experience the New
Birth.[33] This experience can occur in different ways; it can be one transforming moment, such as an altar
call experience,[34] or it may involve a series of decisions across a period of time.[35]
Sanctifying Grace is that grace of God which sustains the believers in the journey toward Christian
Perfection: a genuine love of God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and a genuine love of our neighbors
as ourselves. Sanctifying grace enables us to respond to God by leading a Spirit-filled and Christ-like life
aimed toward love.
Wesleyan theology maintains that salvation is the act of God's grace entirely, from invitation, to pardon, to
growth in holiness. Furthermore, God's prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace interact dynamically in
the lives of Christians from birth to death. For Wesley, good works were the fruit of one's salvation, not the
way in which that salvation was earned. Faith and good works go hand in hand in Methodist theology: a
living tree naturally and inevitably bears fruit. Wesleyan theology rejects the doctrine of eternal security,
believing that salvation can be rejected (conditional security).[36] Wesley emphasized that believers must
continue to grow in their relationship with Christ, through the process of Sanctification.
Historical and contemporary issues
The Church of the Nazarene also takes a stance on a wide array of current moral and social issues, which is
published in the Manual and online. These issues have included stances regarding human sexuality,[37]
theatrical arts, movies, social dancing, AIDS/HIV, and organ donation.[38] On some matters the church is
very conservative, such as human sexuality,[37] the church has said that homosexuality is a sin "subject to
the wrath of God", and yet its stance on scientific discovery might be considered comparatively liberal.
Consistent with the position of classical Nazarene theologian H. Orton Wiley, several contemporary
Nazarene theologians, have endeavored to reconcile the theory of evolution with theology. There are an
increasing number of Nazarene scientists who support theistic evolution, among them Karl Giberson,
Darrel R. Falk, and Richard G. Colling. The 2009 General Assembly, delegates reaffirmed the Church's
existing position after extended debate.
Throughout its history, the Church of the Nazarene has maintained a stance supporting total abstinence
from alcohol and any other intoxicant, including cigarettes.[39] Primary Nazarene founder Bresee was
active in the Prohibition cause. Although this continues to be debated, the position remains in the church.
While the church does not consider alcohol itself to be the cause of sin, it recognizes that intoxication and
the like are a 'danger' to many people, both physically and spiritually. Historically, the Nazarene Church
was founded in order to help the poor. Alcohol, gambling and the like, and their addictions, were cited as
things that kept people poor. So in order to help the poor, as well as everyone else, Nazarenes have
traditionally abstained from those things. Also, a person who is meant to serve an example to others should
avoid the use of them, in order not to cause others to stray from their "walk with God", as that is considered
a sin for both parties.
Worship and rituals

Worship styles vary widely, and are contextual to the local, customs and
demographics of the congregations. The Church has a congregational structure
so each individual church can create its own schedule, and does not follow a
united liturgy. In the past, Nazarene Churches had services on Sunday
morning, Sunday and Wednesday evenings, each lasting for about an hour to
an hour and half. The typical Sunday Morning service included music with
hymns with a band and choir or by a 'praise and worship' band, an offering,
time for testimony, sermon, and a response (typically an altar call). Service
order is viewed to be less structured and rigid, and ultimately the Holy Spirit
should lead worship.
First Church of the Sunday and Wednesday evening services in many Nazarene churches have
Nazarene in Cambridge, changed from worship services to discipleship training, and many growing
Massachusetts churches have utilized weekly small group meetings. Worship services
typically contain singing a mix of hymns and contemporary worship songs,
prayer, special music, reading of Scripture, sermon, and offering. Services are
often focused toward a time of prayer and commitment at the end of the sermon, with people finding
spiritual help as they gather for corporate praying.
Over the last twenty years, an increasing number of Nazarene churches have utilized contemporary
worship services as their predominant worship style. This may involve the use of a projector to display
song and chorus lyrics onto a video screen. More traditional Nazarene churches may have a song leader
who directs congregational hymns from the pulpit or platform. More recently, a small number of local
churches have adopted a more formal liturgical style based on practices in the Anglican tradition.
Annual revival meetings have long been a traditional part of Nazarene life, and are still encouraged in the
Manual, though may be seen less today than they once were. An evangelist comes to preach the revival
services. The Church of the Nazarene licenses and credentials evangelists, many of whom earn their entire
living through their ministry of evangelism. Most Nazarene districts also sponsor an annual camp meeting
for adults and their families as well as separate camps for both teens and children. While Nazarenes believe
that the ill should utilize all appropriate medical agencies, Nazarenes also affirm God's will of divine
healing and pastors may "lay hands" upon the ill in prayer, either at the hospital or in a worship service. A
prayer for divine healing is never understood as excluding medical services and agencies.
Sacraments and rituals
The Church of the Nazarene recognizes two sacraments: Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper, or
communion. The 2017–2021 Manual included a significantly revised Article XIII on The Lord's Supper.
Nazarenes permit both believer's baptism and infant baptism. When a family in the Church of the Nazarene
chooses not to baptize their infants they often participate in an infant dedication. Whether a child is baptized
or dedicated is the choice of the parents of the child. This decision is often based on geographic location,
and other contextual cultural points of view.
Along with sacrements, the Nazarene Manual includes rituals for the believer's baptism, infant baptism,
infant dedication, reception of new church members, communion, weddings, funerals, the organization of a
local church, the installation of new officers, and church dedications.[40]
Church polity and leadership

The Church of the Nazarene combines episcopal and congregational polities[3] to form a "representative"
government.[41] The salient feature of this structure is shared power between people and clergy as well as
between the local church and the denomination. At the 1923 General Assembly, the following was stated in
relation to the denomination's polity: "Our people have felt they did not want extreme episcopacy in the
appointment of pastors, neither did they want extreme congregationalism. In the past, we have tried to find
a middle ground, so as to respect the spirit of democracy and at the same time retain a degree of
efficiency."[41]
General Assembly
According to the denominational website, "The General Assembly of the church serves as the supreme
doctrine-formulating, lawmaking, and elective authority of the Church of the Nazarene, subject to the
provisions of the church constitution." Composed of elected representatives from all of the denomination's
districts globally, since 1985 the General Assembly has met once every four years. All General Assemblies
have been held in the United States. At the General Assembly held in Orlando, Florida, US, in June 2009, a
total of 1,030 delegates were finally registered, with 982 eligible to vote, and 48 non-voting delegates. The
General Assembly elects the members of the Board of General Superintendents and considers legislative
proposals from the church's 465 districts. Topics under consideration may range from the method of calling
a pastor to bioethics.
Board of General Superintendents
The highest elected office in the Church of the Nazarene is that of General Superintendent. Every four
years six ordained elders, who are at least 35 years old and are not over 70 years old, are elected by the
General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene for a four-year term. Both ordained females and males
are eligible to be elected to the office of General Superintendent. Of the forty-five persons who have served
in this office, only two women have been elected: Dr. Nina G. Gunter (2005-2009), and Dr. Carla Sunberg,
who was elected in 2017 and is currently serving.[42][43] Until 2005, all of the elders elected were from the
United States of America. Dr. Crocker, a native of San Jerónimo, Guatemala, the first General
Superintendent from Central America, and the 2nd general superintendent elected while residing outside the
US/Canada Region, also was elected on a record 53rd ballot. Collectively these six elders constitute the
Board of General Superintendents, which is according to the denominational Manual, are "charged with
the responsibility of administering the worldwide work of the Church of the Nazarene," and interpret the
denomination's of polity. All official acts of the Board of General Superintendents are subject to the review
of the General Assembly.
The youngest person elected General Superintendent was Roy T. Williams, who was only 32 when chosen
to fill a vacancy caused by the deaths of Phineas F. Bresee and William C. Wilson, both of whom died
within weeks of the 1915 General Assembly. Wilson is the shortest-serving General Superintendent, dying
only 33 days after his election at the age of 47. R.T. Williams was the longest-serving general
superintendent, who served for just over 30 years from January 1916 to his death in March 1946. Eight of
the first eleven General Superintendents died in office, resulting in both the expansion in the number of
general superintendents, and an upper age limit of 72. Dr Hiram F. Reynolds (1854–1938), one of the
original two General Superintendents elected in October 1907, holds the record as the oldest person to
serve in this office, retiring in 1932, at the age of 78.
General Board
The General Board of the Church of the Nazarene was created by action of the 1923 General Assembly to
replace a system of independent general boards that often competed with one another for the church
budget. These independent boards became departments of the General Board.[44] The General Board is
made up of district superintendents, pastors and lay leaders representing the global church and elected by
the regional caucuses at General Assembly. Convening in late February each year, the board has governing
responsibility for the international Church of the Nazarene between general assemblies. The General Board
carries out the corporate business of the denomination. 48 board members represent the church's regions,
and an additional four members were elected to represent Education, Nazarene Youth International, and
Nazarene Missions International. Of the 52 Board Members roughly half are elected from outside the
United States, and only 6 are women.[45]
Ministers
The Church of the Nazarene has two orders of ordained ministry: the ordained elder and the ordained
deacon. The ordained elder is a person, either male or female, who has been set apart for a ministry of
"Word and Sacrament". Their primary assignment is to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and
lead the local church. The ordained deacon is a man or woman who has been set apart for full-time ministry
in a role other than "Word and Sacrament". Those eligible to be ordained as deacons include those who are
called to a full-time ministry of music, Christian social ministry, or director of Christian education, or
another ministry that does not typically involve leading a congregation. The church also has district licensed
ministers. Usually these are persons who are on the path toward ordination or who are strongly considering
a call to ordained ministry. A licensed minister may, in some cases, be the pastor of a church.
The Church of the Nazarene also recognizes these specialized forms of Christian service and ministry.[46]
In September 2014, the Church of the Nazarene had 17,017 ordained elders, 838 ordained deacons and
9,847 licensed ministers, for a total of 27,702 credentialed or licensed ministers. On March 24, 2010, the
Bangladesh District set a denominational record with 193 women and men ordained in one service,
including 30 women, the most ever in the denomination's history, exceeding the 39 ordained in Peru.[47][48]
Local church
The basic unit of organization in the Church of the Nazarene is the local church congregation, which may
be either an organized church or church-type mission (often known as "New Starts"). At the end of
September 2014, there were 21,425 organized churches and a further 7,970 church-type missions, for a
total of 29,395 congregations.[49] The average Nazarene congregation globally has 78 members, and an
average weekly worship attendance of 51.[50] The largest congregation in the denomination as measured
by average weekly attendance each Sunday morning (as of February 2009) was the Central De Campinas
church on the Paulista Sudeste district in Brazil, which reported 8,216 members and an average weekly
Sunday morning worship attendance of 7,237. During 2009 it received 873 new Nazarenes.[51] The next
four largest congregations were the Casa De Oracion Paso Ancho church in Colombia (4,600 members;
7,000 worship); the Americana church in Brazil; Grove City Church of the Nazarene in Grove City, Ohio;
and College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas.[51]
District
Local congregations are grouped administratively into geographical districts. Each district is led by a district
superintendent, who is usually elected by delegates from each local church in an annual meeting called the
District Assembly. In newer districts, the district superintendent may be appointed by the jurisdictional
general superintendent. There are currently 465 districts worldwide. Size depends upoon the concentration
of Nazarene churches. There are 80 Districts in the US and Canada. The largest districts are Brazil Sudeste
Paulista (24,686 full members), South Korea National District (23,143 members), India East (19,490
members), and Oklahoma (17,530), the largest district in the US. Districts may also be sub-divided into
Zones where local churches within a Zone may cooperate for various activities, particularly for youth
events.
Region
All Districts of the Church of the Nazarene are organized into 6 geographic regions:
Africa: 611,398 members, in 8,686 churches in 130 districts in 6 fields in 42 world areas;[52]
Asia-Pacific: 119,349 members in 1,894 churches in 46 districts in 7 fields in 29 world
areas);[53]
Eurasia: 240,585 members in 7,832 churches in 52 districts in 7 fields in 36 world areas;[54]
MesoAmerica: 364,368 members in 3,133 churches in 77 districts in 5 fields in 31 world
areas;[55]
South America: 279,408 members in 2,603 churches in 80 districts in 8 fields in 10 world
areas;[56]
USA/Canada (US, Canada, and Bermuda): 649,998 members in 5,247 churches in 80
districts in 9 zones in 3 world areas[57]
The regions are administered through Nazarene Global Mission, an entity formed in 2011 after a strategic
restructuring that incorporates all functions of the former World Mission Department. It focuses on
partnership and collaboration to help equip Nazarene churches support mission at community, district,
regional and international levels.[58]
In the United States and Canada, there are educational zones centered on one of the denominational
institutions of higher education. Each local church pays an agreed budget to the District level, and each
District remits a portion of the local and district budgets for their zone's Nazarene institution of higher
education. Educational zones for the Church of the Nazarene were first established in 1918.
Field
Districts in areas administered by the Global Mission are often grouped into "fields", with a field strategy
co-ordinator providing strategic leadership. In the US and Canada the sub-regional areas may be referred to
as "Zones". On January 31, 2008, India became the first field in the global Church of the Nazarene to be
entirely indigenous with the field strategy co-ordinator, Rev Sunil Dange, and all 15 district
superintendents, all ministry coordinators, and all pastors from India.[59]
Memberships statistics
The estimated number of members of the Church of the
Nazarene was 2,640,216, attended 31,049 congregations
worldwide in 2020. The Church crossed 2,000,000 members
worldwide in 2010.[60] The Church of the Nazarene makes a
distinction between new members who come to the church
Olathe College Church was the largest through a new profession of faith in Christianity, and those
Nazarene Church in the world until 2005 entering from another denomination. According to their
internal statistical reporting an average of 455 join the
Nazarene Church per day.[61] [20] (http://www.nazarene.org/si
tes/default/files/docs/GenSec/Statistics/2016AnnualStatistical.pdf) From 2006 to 2016, 139,560 people
became new members of the Church of the Nazarene, with 113,968 received by profession of faith and a
further 25,592 coming from other denominations.[62] With 626,811 members, the USA was the country
with the greatest number of Nazarenes,.[63]
The highest concentration of Nazarene membership in the United States with 626,811 members, making up
23.26% of the global membership. The Africa region as a whole makes up 27.29%, the USA/CAN region
is 25.87% and all other church regions making up 46.84%.[63] The USA/CAN region is the only region to
have a decrease in membership since 2000. Nazarene membership in the United States hit its peak in the
year 2000.[63] Since 2006, average weekly worship attendance worldwide is 1,150,482, mostly in small
congregations, under 100 in attendance, or new churches.[64]
During 2016,[62] Nazarene churches received annual income from all sources of US$860,949,037, a
decrease of US$941,336 from 2015, and a 3.79% decadal decrease from the US$894,866,142 reported in
September 2006. Worldwide per capita expenses amounted to US$353.04 (a decrease of $198.77 from that
reported in 2006).
In 2016, the Church of the Nazarene had the highest percentage presence in the nations of Barbados
(where its members constitute 2.84% of the population), Cape Verde (1.54% of the population), Eswatini
(1.42% of the population), Haiti (1.34% of the population) Mozambique [60]
(0.82% of the population), and Samoa (0.66% of

Total Increase from
Nation the population). The highest percentage of
Membership[63] 1983-2013
Nazarene presence in the US occurred in 2000,
Bangladesh 123,192 68,053 when there were 2.25 members for every 1,000
Benin 56,036 45,700 US people (0.25%).[65]
Brazil 153,002 104,737
Ethiopia 50,361 48,304 Denominational affiliations

Guatemala 90,101 63,908
As of 2014 the Church of the Nazarene
Haiti 134,236 74,262 participates in 8 cross-denominational
India 136,079 100,689 associations, ecumenical networks, majority of
which are pairing with other Wesleyan or
Mozambique 202,118 149,778 evangelical denominations:
Peru 67,394 40,723
Christian Holiness Partnership
United States 626,811 130,712
Global Wesleyan Alliance[66]
National Association of Evangelicals
World Methodist Council [67]
Mission Exchange (formerly the Evangelical Fellowship of Missions Agencies)
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability,[68]
Wesleyan Holiness Consortium[69]
Wesleyan Holiness Study Project[70]
Ministries and activities

For more than a century the international denominational headquarters was located in Kansas City,
Missouri. Since September 2008, the denomination moved to Lenexa, Kansas and rebranded under the
name "Global Ministry Center"[71] The denominational's publishing company was known as Nazarene
Publishing House until 2017, and now is (The Foundry Publishing), has been located in Kansas City,
Missouri since its inception in 1912.
There are several key ministries that focus on different aspect of the larger mission statement. The biggest
of these are Nazarene Youth International (NYI), Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries, Nazarene
Missions International (NMI), and Nazarene Publishing House (NPH).
Higher education
The Church of the Nazarene owns and operates 52 educational institutions in 35 countries, comprising 5
graduate seminaries; 31 undergraduate Bible/theological colleges; 2 nurses training colleges, and 1 teacher
training college. The Manual of the Church of the Nazarene says that "[t]he Church of the Nazarene... has
been committed to higher education. The church college/university, while not a local congregation, is an
integral part of the church; it is an expression of the church."[72] Nazarene educational institutions are
overseen by the Nazarene International Board of Education (IBOE).[73]
A portion of each local church and district budget is allocated for Nazarene higher education, which
subsidizes the cost of each educational zone or nation's respective institution. Globally the denomination
contributed US$23,904,271 in 2010 to Nazarene educational institutions.[74] In 2016 the combined global
enrollment was 51,555 students. Approximately 31,000 students enrolled in on-campus programs and
19,000 students enrolled in extension programs. As of 2010, these educational assets were valued at
US$1,041,436,984, with liabilities of US$341,009,574, for a net worth of US$700,427,410.
In the United States and Canada, there is one Nazarene liberal arts college per region.[75] Accompanying
that logic of institutional support, there is a gentlemen's agreement between the Nazarene liberal arts
colleges in the United States to not actively recruit outside their respective educational zone, requiring that a
Nazarene prospective college student must first seek information from any "Off-Region" institution on an
individual basis.
The regional colleges are for the Canada Region, Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta; for the Eastern
USA Region, Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts; for North Central USA Region,
MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas; for the East Central USA Region, Mount Vernon
Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio; for the Northwest USA Region, Northwest Nazarene
University in Nampa, Idaho; for the Central USA Region, Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais,
Illinois; for the Southwest USA Region, Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California; for the
South Central USA Region, Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma; for the Southeast USA
Region, Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.[76]
On October 16, 2009, the

Top University Enrollment[77]
Global Consortium of
School Location
2016 Nazarene Graduate
Enrollment Seminaries and Schools of
Korea Nazarene University Cheonan, South Korea 5,208 [78] Theology (GCNGSST) was
inaugurated in Manchester,
Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, Illinois 4,670
England. It comprised the
Africa Nazarene University Nairobi, Kenya 3,872 following eight institutions:
Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA 3,806
Africa Nazarene University
(Ongata Rongai, Kenya);
Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN 3,093 Asia-Pacific Nazarene
Southern Nazarene University Bethany, OK 2,090 Theological Seminary
(Taytay, Rizal, Philippines);
Brazil Nazarene College
(Faculdade Nazarena do Brasil) (Campinas, Brazil); Korea Nazarene University (Cheonan, South Korea);
Nazarene Theological College, (Brisbane, Australia); Nazarene Theological College, (Manchester,
England); Nazarene Theological Seminary (Kansas City, Missouri); and Seminario Nazareno de las
Americas (SENDAS) (San José, Costa Rica).[79] Funded through a grant from the Henry Luce
Foundation, the consortium connects Nazarene seminaries by optimizing the global resources available for
theological education. While much of the work of the consortium is done throughout the year via video
conferencing, subsequent meetings of the presidents and academic deans of the member institutions were
held on the campuses of Korean Nazarene University, and Nazarene Theological Seminary.[80]
Nazarene Youth International (NYI)
Nazarene Youth International is a youth organisation that has partnered with the Church of the Nazarene
since its inception as the Nazarene Young Peoples Society (NYPS) in 1923. In 1976 it adopted its current
name, and focused on young people aged 12 to 23 (later 12 to 29). In September 2014 NYI membership
globally was 422,012 young people aged 14–25 (a decrease of 8,871 from 2013, but an increase of 85,062
or 25.24% since 2004) in 16,597 local organizations.[49]
The NYI-sponsored Third Wave emerging leadership conference was held from January 3–8, 2012 in
Bangkok, Thailand, with approximately 250 participants from 55 countries attending.[81]
Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI)
At the end of 2010, Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) reported an average
global Sunday School weekly attendance of 703,344,[82] and the Global Discipleship Group attendance
was 191,912, for a total of 895,256 (an increase of 52,132 from 2009).[82] The Total Global Responsibility
List was 1,690,255 in 2009.[83] In 2016, the Global Discipleship attendance was 1,245,818; a decadal
growth rate of 55%. The total global responsibility lists was 1,845,786.
Nazarene Missions International (NMI)
Nazarene Missions International (NMI) was founded in 1915 at the fourth General Assembly, as the
Nazarene Foreign Missionary Society, with Susan Norris Fitkin, wife of financier Abram Fitkin, elected
the first president. Fitkin remained in office until June 1948. NMI is "the church-relations heart of World
Mission within each local church",[84] and "the local-church-based global mobilization and promotional
arm of the Church of the Nazarene".[85] has 916,470 members.[86] The purpose of NMI is to mobilize
churches in mission through praying, discipling, giving, and educating.[87]
Missions
The Church of the Nazarene has been committed to obeying the Great Commission since its inception.
According to the 2013–2017 Manual, "Historically, Nazarene global ministry has centered around
evangelism, compassionate ministry, and education."[88] In 2014 the denomination had a total of 702
salaried (funded by the World Evangelism Fund for the Church of the Nazarene)[89] in 40 world
areas,[89][90] of whom, forty percent of General Board missionaries were non-U.S. missionaries.[91]
Additionally, there were contracted volunteers serving as missionaries in 40 world areas.[49] In 2013, 687
missionaries and 231 missionary kids were deployed from 27 world areas (including 313 Mission Corps
volunteers).[92] In 2014 Nazarene missionaries originated from 35 different world areas. 10,824 volunteers
participated in mission in 2013. In addition to Mission Corps, there were 292 individual volunteers, and
10,219 Work & Witness team members.[92] In 2010, 92 Youth in Mission participants served in 14 world
areas, including 52 participants from outside the US/Canada Regions.[93]
From a peak of $54 million given for the World Evangelism Fund (WEF) in 2002,[94] as a consequence of
the Late-2000s financial crisis, the total amount raised for the World Evangelism Fund in 2012 was
approximately US$38.3 million (a decrease of $0.5 million from the previous year).[95] However, Mission
Specials receipted were an additional US$26.1 million, a decrease of US$5.3 million from the previous
year.[89][95] This combined giving totaled US$64.4 million,[95] a decrease of $5.8 million.[96] Despite its
membership being less than 33% of the denominational total, the USA regions contributed 94% of WEF
funding,[95] and 90% of Approved Specials.[96][89] During 2012, 27.7% of Nazarene congregations gave
the recommended 5.5% of total income to the WEF, an additional 37.5% of congregations made some
contribution to the WEF, while 35% of congregations made no contribution.[95]
JESUS Film Harvest Partners
The Church of the Nazarene is an active participant in the Jesus Film Project, organizing teams to show the
Jesus film. In 2014 Global Mission (GM) and JESUS Film Harvest Partners (JFHP) has 619 JESUS Film
teams working with missionaries and local leaders, spreading the gospel in 290 languages and in 135 world
areas. The cumulative total from 1998 to June 2014 is 67,280,854 evangelistic contacts with a reported
12,640,017 decisions made for Christ (18.8 percent of contacts) and 5,261,310 (41.6 percent of decisions)
initial discipleship follow-ups. Since 1998, 43,481 new preaching points were started. The most current
information is available on the jfhp.org website.[97]
Work and Witness
Since its inception in 1974, Work and Witness, an endeavor that sends teams of volunteers into cross-
cultural situations primarily to construct buildings on the mission field, has 196,060 participants who have
given 13,246,196 labor hours, which equals 6,564 years of labor. In 2010, there were 537 Work & Witness
teams with a total of 8,955 participants.[93] In 2008 teams served in 72 world areas.[98]
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
The Church of the Nazarene has 245 full-time compassionate ministries centers and volunteer efforts
around the world.[3] Nazarenes have been instrumental in assisting people in every part of the globe who
have been affected by war, famine, hurricane, flood, and other natural and human-made disasters. In 2008,
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries'[99] Child Development program had 123 Child Development Centers
globally that provided more than 11,140 sponsorships in 77 countries, and met the needs of more than
50,000 children through nutritional programs.[100] The church operates 64 medical clinics and hospitals
worldwide.[3] In 2010, 11,874 children were fed each week through Nazarene Compassionate
Ministries.[93]
Nazarene Publishing House (NPH)
Nazarene Publishing House (NPH), also called Foundry Publishing, the publishing arm of the Church of
the Nazarene, is the largest publisher of Wesleyan-Holiness literature in the world.[3] NPH prints more than
25 million pieces of literature each year.[101] NPH processes more than 250,000 orders each year from
more than 11,000 churches.[102]
The Third General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene held in Nashville in 1911 recommended that
the infant denomination's three publishing companies (then located in Rhode Island, Texas, and Los
Angeles) each founded by a different Nazarene parent body, consolidate into "one central publishing
company" and merge their three papers into one strong paper. The newly created Pentecostal Nazarene
Publishing House was sited at 2923 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri, in 1912, with Clarence J.
Kinne, a Nazarene ordained minister, as its first manager.[103] The Herald of Holiness, the new weekly
paper, edited by B. F. Haynes, appeared for the first time on Wednesday, April 17, 1912. The Other Sheep
(later World Mission) magazine began publication in 1913 under founding editor Charles Allen McConnell,
who was NPH manager from 1916 to 1918.[104] Both magazines were published until 1999, when they
were discontinued in favor of Holiness Today, a new publication. In the meantime, Spanish, Portuguese,
and French editions of Herald of Holiness appeared over the years.[105]
NPH is a separate corporate entity from General Church of the Nazarene, although it is accountable to the
church. NPH has a board of directors and is also accountable to one of the six General Superintendents of
the Church of the Nazarene who has oversight of NPH. NPH publishes a variety of books, music and
materials. The primary label under which books are published is Beacon Hill Press. Sunday school
curriculum is published under the label Word Action. Youth ministry resources are published under the label
Barefoot Ministries. Spanish materials are produced by Casa Nazarena de Publicaciones.
Music and drama resources are published under the label Lillenas Publishing, which was founded in
Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1925 by Nazarene minister and composer Haldor Lillenas,[106] and subsequently
purchased by NPH[107] in 1930.[108]
Notable Nazarenes
The following are notable people who have past or current affiliation or membership in the Church of the
Nazarene.
Current Nazarenes
South African politician Rev. William Bantom, the first black mayor of Cape Town (1995–
2000), was a minister in the Church of the Nazarene since 1968;[109]
Historical fiction author Donna Fletcher Crow, author of Glastonbury, a graduate of
Northwest Nazarene University, is a member of the Church of the Nazarene;[110]
American psychologist Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, a graduate of
Pasadena College, is a member of the Eastborough Church of the Nazarene in Colorado
Springs, Colorado.[111]
Former USAID Acting Administrator Dr. Kent R. Hill, a graduate of Northwest Nazarene
University, and former president of Eastern Nazarene College (1992–2001), is an active
member.[112]
Dove Award-winning Gospel singer Crystal Lewis.[113]
Mexican politician Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía, former governor of Chiapas (2000–2006)
and former senator of the Republic (1994–2000), is a member of the Church of the
Nazarene;[114]
Esther R. Sanger was the founder of two nonprofit organizations: the Quincy Crisis Center,
based in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the Martha–Mary Learning Center in Hingham,
Massachusetts. She was ordained an elder in the Church of the Nazarene in 1994.[115]
Scottish businessman Brian Souter, the prominent leader of the Keep the Clause campaign,
is an active member of the denomination;[116]
Larry Wall, creator of the Perl computer programming language and important early
contributor to the open source movement, is a member of the New Life Church of the
Nazarene in Cupertino, California;[117]
Former U.S. representative from Kansas Vince Snowbarger
Author and historian Randall Stephens
Aguiar Valvassoura, pastor of the Campinas Central Church of the Nazarene in Campinas,
Brazil
Former Nazarenes
Four-time governor of Louisiana Edwin Edwards early in life was a Nazarene preacher
before converting to Roman Catholicism.
American investment banker and philanthropist Abram Fitkin, husband of NMI founder,
Susan Norris Fitkin, was a member of the John Wesley Church of the Nazarene, Brooklyn
American nuclear scientist Robert W. Faid was a member of the First Church of the
Nazarene, Greenville, South Carolina
Convicted murderer Caril Ann Fugate, the then girlfriend of spree killer Charles
Starkweather, the youngest female in United States history to be tried for first-degree murder,
while imprisoned at the Nebraska Center for Women in York, Nebraska (1958–1976),
"worked in a Nazarene church nursery, taught Bible classes on Sunday, and occasionally
delivered sermons".
Southern Gospel singer and songwriter Bill Gaither, winner of five Grammy Awards and 28
Dove Awards, and a 1982 inductee to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, grew up in a
Nazarene family, and became a member of the denomination at his home church in
Alexandria, Indiana.Currently he attends the Park Place Church of God in Anderson,
Indiana;[118]
Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks attended the Church of the Nazarene while living
with an aunt as a teenager.[119]
American politician Gary Hart, who served as a United States Senator (1974–1980) and was
a two-time candidate for president of the United States (1984, 1988), was raised as a
member of the Church of the Nazarene; married Oletha Ludwig, the daughter of the General
Secretary of the denomination; and also graduated from Southern Nazarene University;[120]
Tunney Hunsaker former police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia, the first opponent of
Muhammad Ali in a professional boxing bout in 1960, was a member of the Church of the
Nazarene in Oak Hill, West Virginia
Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean is the son of the late Rev. Gesner Jean a Nazarene
pastor, and was raised in the denomination, including the Good Shepherd Church of the
Nazarene in Newark, New Jersey, and briefly attended Eastern Nazarene College;[121][122]
Prolific Christian author R. T. Kendall who pastored the Westminster Chapel for 25 years
(1977–2002), was born into a Nazarene family in Ashland, Kentucky, named for general
superintendent Roy T. Williams, graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University, and
commenced his ministry in the denomination before his Calvinistic convictions necessitated
his resignation. In 2008 he was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Trevecca
Nazarene University;[123]
American artist Thomas Kinkade was a member of the Church of the Nazarene;[124]
Norwegian Gospel Hall of Fame inductee Haldor Lillenas, was an ordained minister in the
Church of the Nazarene, author, song evangelist, poet, music publisher and prolific
hymnwriter, who is estimated to have composed over 4,000 hymns;[125]
Grammy Award-winning American rock singer-songwriter John Mellencamp was raised in
the Church of the Nazarene in Seymour, Indiana;[126]
Actor Ron Raines is the son of a Nazarene minister, and was active in the denomination
until at least 1969.[127]
Actress Debbie Reynolds was raised within the Church of the Nazarene, attending three
times a week for sixteen years;[128]
American Bob Pierce the founder of international Christian relief and development
organizations World Vision in 1950, and Samaritan's Purse (1970), was an ordained
minister in the Church of the Nazarene;[129]
Canadian Charles Templeton the co-founder of Youth for Christ, was an evangelist in the
Church of the Nazarene, and founder of the Avenue Road Church of the Nazarene in
Toronto,Ontario before becoming an agnostic[130]
Southern Gospel pioneer and music publisher James David Vaughan, the founder of the
Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company, who was
inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997, became a member of the
Church of the Nazarene in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee (now known as Vaughan Memorial
Church of the Nazarene) in the 1920s, and brought the singing Speers Family into the
denomination.[131]
Japanese graphic designer, set designer, essayist and novelist Kappa Senoo grew up in a
Nazarene family in Kobe, Japan before and during WWII.[132]
Nazarenes in pop culture

In Kacey Musgraves's song "This Town", off her album Pageant Material, the church is listed
as one of the churches in her town ("Got a Methodist, a Baptist, and a Church of the
Nazarene").
Jennifer Aniston's character in The Good Girl says the First Church of the Nazarene has a
good bible study.
See also
Methodism portal
Christianity portal
Religion portal
List of Church of the Nazarene schools

List of Church of the Nazarene conventions
Nazarene Hymnals
Nazarene Missionaries
References
1. Cooper, Aimee Stone (2016). Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and
Significance of John Wesley's Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian
Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.
2. O'Brien, Glen; Carey, Hilary M. (March 3, 2016). Methodism in Australia: A History.
Routledge. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-317-09709-9. "identifying with the Church of the Nazarene,
846 of these in Queensland. The Church began to advertise itself as 'a church in the
Methodist tradition' in order to make its theological orientation clear to the public"
3. "Church of the Nazarene-About Nazarenes" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100428042958/
http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/visitorcenter/about/display.aspx). Archived
from the original (http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/visitorcenter/about/displa
y.aspx) on April 28, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
4. "244823 Manual 2005-09" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130302214359/http://media.premi
erstudios.com/nazarene/docs/Manual2005_09.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://
media.premierstudios.com/nazarene/docs/Manual2005_09.pdf) (PDF) on March 2, 2013.
Retrieved June 23, 2014.
5. "Legislative Actions and G.S. Ballots – Nazarene Communications Network" (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20110726183732/http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=100072
96). Nazarene Communications Network. Archived from the original (http://www.nph.com/np
hweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10007296) on July 26, 2011.
6. "Church of the Nazarene" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150219211316/http://www.ncnnew
s.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10012258). ncnnews.com. Archived from the original
(http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10012258) on February 19, 2015.
Retrieved March 2, 2013.
7. "Church of the Nazarene – Clergy Development" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080411024
354/http://www.nazarenepastor.org/clergyeducation/portals/0/Naz%20History%20Polity/NH
PFacGu.pdf) (PDF). nazarenepastor.org. Archived from the original (http://www.nazarenepas
tor.org/clergyeducation/portals/0/Naz%20History%20Polity/NHPFacGu.pdf) (PDF) on April
11, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
8. 2013–2017 Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (Kansas City, Missouri: Nazarene
Publishing House, 2013):5-6.
9. "The Rise of the Church of the Nazarene" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202939/htt
p://nazarene.org/files/docs/schematic.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org. Archived from the original (h
ttp://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/schematic.pdf) (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 30,
2015.
10. Watchword, 62.
11. Watchword, 157.
12. Manual 2005–2009, 22.
13. Manual, 19.
14. Manual, 19–20.
15. [1] (http://www.forministry.com/USALNAZCHANDCO/HistoricalReflections.dsp) Archived (htt
ps://web.archive.org/web/20150620115046/http://www.forministry.com/USALNAZCHANDC
O/HistoricalReflections.dsp) June 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
16. "Proof Copy Version3" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121030164446/http://media.premierst
udios.com/nazarene/docs/GSReport2008.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://medi
a.premierstudios.com/nazarene/docs/GSReport2008.pdf) (PDF) on October 30, 2012.
17. Melton, J. Gordon (1978). The Encyclopedia of American Religions. McGrath Publishing
Company. p. 236.
18. Mark 10:47 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10:47&version=nasb);
Mark 14:67 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14:67&version=nasb);
Mark 16:6 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+16:6&version=nsab);
Luke 24:19 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24:19&version=nasb);
John 18:5 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+18:5&version=nasb);
Acts 2:22 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2:22&version=nasb); Acts
3:6 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+3:6&version=nasb); Acts 4:10 (ht
tps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+4:10&version=nasb); Acts 6:14 (https://
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+6:14&version=nasb); Acts 22:8 (https://ww
w.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+22:8&version=nasb)
19. "Archives' Answers: The denomination's name – Nazarene Communications Network" (htt
p://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10011446). Nazarene Communications
Network.
20. M. E. Redford. "The Rise of the Church of the Nazarene" (http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/bo
oks/0101-0200/HDM0145.PDF) (PDF). Wesley.nnu.edu. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
21. "Called unto Holiness" (http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2601-2700/HDM2623.PDF)
(PDF). Wesley.nnu.edu. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
22. Charles R. Galley. "Internationalization in the Church of the Nazarene" (https://web.archive.o
rg/web/20100705205150/http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Internationalization%20in%20t
he%20Church%20of%20the%20Nazarene.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org. Archived from the
original (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Internationalization%20in%20the%20Church%2
0of%20the%20Nazarene.pdf) (PDF) on July 5, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
23. Watchword, 181, 184, 253, 257–258.
24. Watchword, 257.
25. Purkiser, Called 2: 317.
26. Watchword, 242.
(http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10007318) on July 14, 2011.
Retrieved July 13, 2009.
28. "Church of the Nazarene - Home" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100301110934/http://www.
nazarene.org/). Archived from the original (http://www.nazarene.org/) on March 1, 2010.
Retrieved January 17, 2010.
29. Manual 2005–2009 pages 30–38
30. (Oord and Lodahl, 2005)
31. "God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080109
013416/http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/Wesley/walk.stm). The United Methodist Church GBGM.
Archived from the original (http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/walk.stm) on January 9, 2008.
Retrieved August 2, 2007.
32. "Statement of Belief" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070928101604/http://www.cambridgech
ristumc.com/statementofbelief.htm). Cambridge Christ United Methodist Church. Archived
from the original (http://www.cambridgechristumc.com/statementofbelief.htm) on September
28, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
33. "The New Birth by John Wesley (Sermon 45)" (https://web.archive.org/web/2007091323244
2/http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/45/). The United Methodist Church
GBGM. Archived from the original (http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/45/)
on September 13, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
34. "Altar Call" (https://archive.today/20130113110629/http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=
258&GID=349&GMOD=VWD&GCAT=A). The United Methodist Church. Archived from the
original (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=258&GID=349&GMOD=VWD&GCAT=A)
on January 13, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
35. "Quotes by various Methodist Bishops and Leaders of the Past" (http://www.imarc.cc/buletin
s/methodistq.html). The Independent Methodist Arminian Resource Center. Retrieved
August 2, 2007.
36. Weber, Max; Kalberg, Stephen (2001). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (http
s://archive.org/details/pdfy-8fnkKz0SleumNaIz). Routledge. p. 91 (https://archive.org/details/
pdfy-8fnkKz0SleumNaIz/page/n311). ISBN 978-1-57958-338-5. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
"salvation can be lost methodist."
37. "A Pastoral Perspective on Homosexuality" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120314031032/h
ttp://nazarene.org/files/docs/Perspectives_Homosexuality.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org.
Archived from the original (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Perspectives_Homosexuality.
pdf) (PDF) on March 14, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
38. Manual 2001–2005 pages 367–373
39. "Church of the Nazarene beliefs on drinking no alcohol" (http://www.nodrinking.com/church-
of-nazarene-beliefs-on-drinking/). nodrinking.com.
40. [2] (http://media.premierstudios.com/nazarene/docs/Manual2009_13.pdf)
41. "History of Nazarene Polity" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080411024354/http://www.nazar
enepastor.org/clergyeducation/portals/0/Naz%20History%20Polity/NHPFacGu.pdf) (PDF).
nazarenepastor.org. Archived from the original (http://www.nazarenepastor.org/clergyeducati
on/portals/0/Naz%20History%20Polity/NHPFacGu.pdf) (PDF) on April 11, 2008. Retrieved
June 23, 2014.
42. "Dr. Nina G. Gunter - Church of the Nazarene" (http://www.nazarene.org/organization/board-
general-superintendents/gs-emeriti/dr-nina-g-gunter). Church of the Nazarene.
43. "Dr. Carla D. Sunberg - Church of the Nazarene" (http://www.nazarene.org/organization/boar
d-of-general-superintendents/biographies-and-photos/dr-carla-d-sunberg). Church of the
Nazarene.
44. [3] (http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/archives/history/turn/display.aspx)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080113112128/http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/
administration/archives/history/turn/display.aspx) January 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
(http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10012708) on January 6, 2014.
Retrieved January 5, 2014.
46. [4] (http://www.nazarene.org/pdf/Manual2005_09.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/
20060814034636/http://www.nazarene.org/pdf/Manual2005_09.pdf) August 14, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
47. "Search – engagemagazine.com" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100921151437/http://enga
gemagazine.com/Magazine-Content/Articles/April-2010/Bangladesh--It-started-with-a-letter.
aspx). engagemagazine.com. Archived from the original (http://engagemagazine.com/Magaz
ine-Content/Articles/April-2010/Bangladesh--It-started-with-a-letter.aspx) on September 21,
2010.
48. [5] (http://www.eurasiaregion.org/index.php/where-worlds-meet/193-bangladesh-district-orda
ins-193-including-30-women) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110726041848/http://
www.eurasiaregion.org/index.php/where-worlds-meet/193-bangladesh-district-ordains-193-i
ncluding-30-women) July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
49. "Church of the Nazarene Growth, 2004–2014" (https://web.archive.org/web/2015091902315
5/http://nazarene.org/files/docs/StatisticsAnnual.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org. Archived from the
original (http://nazarene.org/files/docs/StatisticsAnnual.pdf) (PDF) on September 19, 2015.
Retrieved July 30, 2015.
50. "General secretary releases 2013 stats – Nazarene Communications Network" (http://www.n
ph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10013264). Nazarene
Communications Network.
51. "Top 100 Churches in 2014 Worship Attendance" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100705202
646/http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Top100World1.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org. Archived
from the original (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Top100World1.pdf) (PDF) on July 5,
2010. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
52. "Church of the Nazarene Africa Region" (http://www.africanazarene.org/).
53. "Asia-Pacific Region Church of the Nazarene" (http://www.asiapacificnazarene.org/).
asiapacificnazarene.org.
54. "Home – Eurasia Region Church of the Nazarene" (http://www.eurasiaregion.org/).
eurasiaregion.org.
55. "Fields – Mesoamerica Region" (http://mesoamericaregion.org/es/en/fields/).
mesoamericaregion.org.
56. "Iglesia del Nazareno (Región SAM)" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150425175106/http://e
n.samnaz.org/). samnaz.org. Archived from the original (http://en.samnaz.org/) on April 25,
2015. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
57. "USA / Canada Region" (http://usacanadaregion.org/). usacanadaregion.org.
58. "Mission Structure Revision" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120426062059/http://globalmis
sion.nazarene.org/index.html). globalmission.nazarene.org. Archived from the original (http://
globalmission.nazarene.org/index.html) on April 26, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
59. "Nazarene Communications Network" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110714162514/http://
www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10005755). ncnnews.com. February 8,
2008. Archived from the original (http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=1
0005755) on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
s.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10013302). ncnnews.com. Archived
from the original (http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=1
0013302) on December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
Retrieved December 18, 2009.
62. "General secretary releases 2016 stats" (http://www.nazarene.org/article/general-secretary-r
eleases-2016-stats). NCN News. December 8, 2016.
63. "Church of the Nazarene Growth, 2006–2016 Annual Statistics from the General Secretary's
Reports" (December 8, 2016), Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102402/http://
www.nazarene.org/sites/default/files/docs/GenSec/Statistics/2016AnnualStatistical.pdf)
December 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
64. "Stan A. Toler, "Report of the Board of General Superintendents to the 90th Session of the
General Board, Church of the Nazarene", Lenexa, Kansas, 24 February 2013" (https://web.a
rchive.org/web/20140104094925/http://nazarene.org/files/docs/GENERAL_BOARD_REPO
RT_2013b.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://nazarene.org/files/docs/GENERAL_
BOARD_REPORT_2013b.pdf) (PDF) on January 4, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
65. Finke and Starke, 177.
66. "Holiness leaders form Global Wesleyan Alliance – Nazarene Communications Network" (ht
tp://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10010960). Nazarene
67. Fahlbusch, Erwin; Lochman, Jan Milic; Bromiley, Geoffrey William; Mbiti, John; Pelikan,
Jaroslav; Vischer, Lukas (2003). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing. p. 513. ISBN 978-90-04-12654-1. "Some denominations belonging to the World
Methodist Council are international in character. These bodies are the United Methodist
Church, Wesleyan Church, Free Methodist Church, Church of the Nazarene, and three
historic black denominations--the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal
Zion, and Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches."
68. [6] (http://www.wdcmedia.com/newsArticle.php?ID=3778) Archived (https://web.archive.org/
web/20110716122741/http://www.wdcmedia.com/newsArticle.php?ID=3778) July 16, 2011,
at the Wayback Machine
69. [7] (http://holinessandunity.org/fs/?id=791) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/200908310
95346/http://holinessandunity.org/fs/?id=791) August 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
70. David Neff interviews Kevin Mannoia. "Holiness Without the Legalism" (http://www.christiani
tytoday.com/ct/2006/marchweb-only/113-12.0.html). christianitytoday.com.
71. "1 About the GMC" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110929222837/http://www.nazarene.org/
ministries/administration/gmc/display.aspx). nazarene.org. Archived from the original (http://
www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/gmc/display.aspx) on September 29, 2011.
72. Paragraph 400, The 2013–2017 Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (2013):180.
73. [8] (http://www.nazarene.org/education/iboe/display.aspx) Archived (https://web.archive.org/
web/20110929001031/http://www.nazarene.org/education/iboe/display.aspx) September 29,
2011, at the Wayback Machine
74. "2010 International Board of Education report – Nazarene Communications Network" (http://
www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10010080). Nazarene
75. [9] (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/educregions.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20110929001717/http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/educregions.pdf) September 29,
76. Guidelines and Handbook for Educational Institutions of the Church of the Nazarene (https://
web.archive.org/web/20091010012525/http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/guide.pdf) (PDF).
Church of the Nazarene International Board of Education. 1997. p. 14. Archived from the
original (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/guide.pdf) (PDF) on October 10, 2009. Retrieved
May 24, 2009.
77. "International Board of Education releases global statistics" (http://www.nazarene.org/article/
international-board-education-releases-global-statistics). NCN News. December 15, 2016.
78. [10] (http://www.kornu.ac.kr/kornu/eng/index_eng.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20081226111640/http://www.kornu.ac.kr/kornu/eng/index_eng.html) December 26, 2008,
at the Wayback Machine
Retrieved October 30, 2009.
80. "NTS hosts Nazarene Global Consortium of Graduate Schools of Theology – Nazarene
Communications Network" (http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10011626).
Nazarene Communications Network.
81. "2010 Nazarene Youth International report – Nazarene Communications Network" (http://ww
w.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10010085). Nazarene
82. "2010 Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International report – Nazarene
Communications Network" (http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012
&id=10010082). Nazarene Communications Network.
83. "Highlights of the 87th Session of the General Board", Holiness Today (May/June 2010):26.
84. "2008 Nazarene Missions International Report – Nazarene Communications Network" (htt
p://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10006896). Nazarene Communications
Network.
85. "NMI: Nazarene Missions International information" (http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/nmi.
htm). Home.snu.edu. April 21, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
86. [11] (http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administration/statistics/display.aspx) Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20070212062738/http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/administratio
n/statistics/display.aspx) February 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
87. "2010 Nazarene Missions International report – Nazarene Communications Network" (http://
www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10010084). Nazarene
88. Manual 2013–2017:23.
89. "Church of the Nazarene" (https://archive.today/20130129172605/http://www.ncnnews.com/
nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10011165). ncnnews.com. Archived from the
original (http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=1001116
5) on January 29, 2013.
90. "Prayer Mobilization Line" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120502154425/http://nmi.nazaren
e.org/PML_Email.html). nazarene.org. Archived from the original (http://nmi.nazarene.org/PM
L_Email.html) on May 2, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
91. "Missions, Holiness, and Education: An Interview with Carla Sunberg" (http://www.graceand
peacemagazine.org/issue-11/415-a-different-kind-of-mission-than-we-ve-known-an-intervie
w-with-verne-ward). Grace & Peace.
92. "Nazarene Missions International" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141216123736/http://nmi.
nazarene.org/10149/story.html). nazarene.org. Archived from the original (http://nmi.nazaren
e.org/10149/story.html) on December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
93. "2010 Global Mission report – Nazarene Communications Network" (http://www.nph.com/np
hweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012&id=10010053). Nazarene Communications
Network.
94. "Board of General Superintendents Report: 'Called To Be Witnesses' – Nazarene
Communications Network" (http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000012
&id=10011150). Nazarene Communications Network.
95. "Stan A. Toler, "The Radical Optimism of Grace", Report of the Board of General
Superintendents to the 90th Session of the General Board, Church of the Nazarene, Lenexa,
Kansas, 24 February 2013" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140104094925/http://nazarene.o
rg/files/docs/GENERAL_BOARD_REPORT_2013b.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (h
ttp://nazarene.org/files/docs/GENERAL_BOARD_REPORT_2013b.pdf) (PDF) on January
4, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
Retrieved March 5, 2011.
97. "Progress : JESUS Film Harvest Partners Official Website" (https://web.archive.org/web/201
50107115949/http://www.jfhp.org/progress/index.cfm). jfhp.org. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.jfhp.org/progress/index.cfm) on January 7, 2015.
98. [12] (https://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000015&id=10006888)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20141216021329/https://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/
html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000015&id=10006888) December 16, 2014, at the Wayback
Machine
99. "Nazarene Compassionate Ministries" (http://www.ncm.org/). ncm.org. Retrieved June 23,
2014.
100. "Child Development and Sponsorship Report", NCM Magazine (spring 2009):12.
101. "Retrieved 18 March 2009" (http://www.flychurch.org/Lists/News%20and%20Announcement
s/Attachments/23/Naz%20centennial%20highlights.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved June 23, 2014.
102. "Retrieved 18 March 2009" (https://web.archive.org/web/20050311085804/http://www.oracl
e.com/technology/products/ids/customers/nph.html). oracle.com. Archived from the original
(http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/ids/customers/nph.html) on March 11, 2005.
103. [13] (http://m7conference.org/Default.aspx?tabid=151) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/
20120510034310/http://m7conference.org/Default.aspx?tabid=151) May 10, 2012, at the
Wayback Machine
104. [14] (http://www.snu.edu/c-a-mcconnell)
105. [15] (http://dentonnazarene.org/Article%20-%20History%20of%20the%20Church%20of%20t
he%20Nazarene.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20120222103540/http://denton
nazarene.org/Article%20-%20History%20of%20the%20Church%20of%20the%20Nazarene.
htm) February 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
106. "HoMY 67: Wonderful Grace of Jesus" (http://subversiveinfluence.com/2008/08/homy-67-wo
nderful-grace-of-jesus/). subversiveinfluence.com.
107. "A Hymn of Grace: Wonderful Grace of Jesus" (http://faithalone.org/journal/1997i/Ward.html).
faithalone.org.
108. Stacey Nicholas, "Holiness Churches", in The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, eds. David J.
Bodenhamer, Robert Graham Barrows, and David Gordon Vanderstel (Indiana University
Press, 1994):699.
109. "BBC News – AFRICA – Cape Town mayor resigns over porn" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/afr
ica/923166.stm). BBC. September 13, 2000.
110. 2002–2012 Andrew Maltsev, 2012–2013 Derek J. Curtis. "Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20080807132344/http://isbndb.com/d/publisher/beacon_hill_pr
ess_of_kansas_ci.html). isbndb.com. Archived from the original (http://isbndb.com/d/publish
er/beacon_hill_press_of_kansas_ci.html) on August 7, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
111. William D. Lindsey and Mark Silk, Religion and Public Life in the Southern Crossroads:
Showdown States (Rowman Altamira, 2004):98–99.
112. [16] (http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/bios/bio_khill.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/
web/20090810143317/http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/bios/bio_khill.html) August 10,
113. "The Crystal Lewis Blog" (http://crystallewis.com/blog/?paged=2). crystallewis.com.
114. "Out of the Salt Shaker" (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1998/november16/8td072.html).
christianitytoday.com.
115. Sullivan, Bill M. (June 1990). "Esther Sanger Called Nazarene Mother Teresa: Throwaway
People Find Soul Friend Near Boston" (http://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cg
i?article=1657&context=cotn_pm). Grow: A Journal of Church Growth, Evangelism and
Discipleship. Olivet Nazarene University. 65 (4): 1–5.
116. [17] (http://www.trinitychurchperth.org/Trinity_Nazarene_Website/Welcome.html) Archived (h
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110119025027/http://www.trinitychurchperth.org/Trinity_Nazar
ene_Website/Welcome.html) January 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
117. [18] (http://www.wall.org/~larry/) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20071013080303/htt
p://www.wall.org/~larry/) October 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
118. "Denomination and style at averyfineline" (https://web.archive.org/web/20081122153621/htt
p://averyfineline.com/2008/04/16/denomination-and-style/). averyfineline.com. Archived from
the original (http://averyfineline.com/2008/04/16/denomination-and-style/) on November 22,
2008. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
119. "The Religion of Tom Hanks" (http://www.ldsfilm.com/actors/TomHanks.html). ldsfilm.com.
120. Gary Hart, God and Caesar in America: An Essay on Religion and Politics (Fulcrum
Publishing, 2005):11–16, 87; Richard Ben Cramer, What it Takes: The Way to the White
House (Vintage Books, 1993):328ff.; The CQ Guide to Current American Government 41
(Congressional Quarterly, inc., 1983):2538.
121. "Music News" (https://web.archive.org/web/20071201002337/http://www.rollingstone.com/ne
ws/story/17477100/wyclef_jean_qa_how_the_exfugee_got_his_groove_back). Rolling
Stone. Archived from the original (https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17477100/wyclef
_jean_qa_how_the_exfugee_got_his_groove_back) on December 1, 2007.
122. "Q&A With 'The Carnival II (Memoirs of an Immigrant)' Artist Wyclef Jean" (http://nymag.com/
arts/popmusic/features/41264/). New York.
123. [19] (http://www.rtkendallministries.com/index.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20
101002131555/http://www.rtkendallministries.com/index.html) October 2, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
124. Randall Balmer. "The Kinkade Crusade" (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/december
4/6.48.html). christianitytoday.com.
125. Haldor Lillenas, Down Melody Lane: An Autobiography (Beacon Hill Press, 1953); L. C.
Rudolph, Hoosier Faiths: A History of Indiana Churches & Religious Groups (Indiana
University Press, 1995):424; William Kostlevy and Gari-Anne Patzwald, eds., Historical
Dictionary of the Holiness Movement (Scarecrow Press, 2001):59.
126. wnij. "Mellencamp Muses About Mortality, 'Love' (2009-07-03)" (http://www.publicbroadcasti
ng.net/wnij/.artsmain/article/9/1338/1525536/People/Mellencamp.Muses.About.Mortality..%2
7Love%27/). publicbroadcasting.net.
127. Show Music. Vol. 7 (Max O. Pree, 1991):37.
128. Arnold Gingrich, Coronet 48 (David A. Smart); Debbie Reynolds and David Patrick
Columbia, Debbie: My Life (Pocket Books, 1988):43, 142; David Fisher, Been There, Done
That (St. Martin's Press, 2000):87; Dick Sheppard, Elizabeth: The Life and Career of
Elizabeth Taylor (W. H. Allen, 1975).
129. Franklin Graham and Jeanette W. Lockerbie, Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do (Word Books,
1983):40ff.
130. "Canada: Evangelist to Editor" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070621213159/http://www.tim
e.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894954,00.html#ixzz0aQRR0z5h). Time. October 3,
1960. Archived from the original (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894954,
00.html#ixzz0aQRR0z5h) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
131. Watchword, 288–289.
少年
132. " H" ("A Boy Called H") (Kodansha, 1997).
Further reading
General
The Manual: Church of the Nazarene. Nazarene Publishing House 2013. ISBN 978-0-8341-
1944-4
Hill, Samuel S., ed. Encyclopedia of Religion in the South.
Mead, Frank S., Samuel S. Hill, & Craig D. Atwood. Handbook of Denominations,
Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, Glenmary Research Center
Biographies
Bangs, Carl. Phineas F. Bresee: His Life in Methodism, the Holiness Movement, and the
Church of the Nazarene. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1995.
Laird, Rebecca. Ordained Women in the Church of the Nazarene: The First Generation.
Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1993.
Comparative and Sociological

Finke, Roger & Rodney Stark. The Churching of America, 1776–2005: Winners and Losers
in Our Religious Economy, Revised and Expanded Edition. Rutgers University Press;
Revised edition, 2005.
Newman, William M. and Peter L. Halvorson, eds., Atlas of American Religion: The
Denominational Era, 1776–1990. Rowman Altamira, 2000.
Tracy, Wesley and Stan Ingersol. Here We Stand: Where Nazarenes Fit in the Religious
Marketplace. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1999.
History
Chapman, J.B. A History of the Church of the Nazarene. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene, 1926.
Cunningham, Floyd T. Holiness Abroad: Nazarene Missions in Asia. Pietist and Wesleyan
Studies, No. 16. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 2003.
Cunningham, Floyd T., ed. Our Watchword and Song: The Centennial History of the Church
of the Nazarene. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8341-2444-8
Parker, J. Fred. Mission to the World: A History of Missions in the Church of the Nazarene
Through 1985. Kansas City, MO: Nazarene Publishing House, 1988.
Purkiser, Westlake T. Called Unto Holiness: Volume Two: The Story of the Nazarenes: The
Second Twentyfive Years, 1933–1958. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983.
Smith, Timothy L. Called Unto Holiness: Volume One: The Story of the Nazarenes: The
Formative Years. Nazarene Publishing House, 1962.
Thornton, Wallace Jr. Radical Righteousness: personal ethics and the development of the
Holiness Movement. Schmul Publishing, 1998. ISBN 978-0-88019-372-6
Church History: M15 Plenary #1 (https://vimeo.com/120083066). Vimeo. A brief narrated
history of the Christian Church and the founding of the Church of the Nazarene.
Internationalisation
Cook, R. Franklin. The International Dimension: Six Expressions of the Great Commission.
Nazarene Publishing House, 1984.
Ingersol, Stan. "Nazarene Odyssey and the Hinges of Internationalization". Wesleyan
Theological Journal 38:1 (2003).
Johnson, Jerald D. International Experience. Beacon Hill Press, 1982.
Smith, Timothy L. "Internationalization and Ethnicity: Nazarene problems and
Accomplishments" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100705205558/http://www.nazarene.org/fi
les/docs/Internationalization%20and%20Ethnicity.pdf) (PDF). Nazarene.org. Archived from
the original (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Internationalization%20and%20Ethnicity.pdf)
(PDF) on July 5, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
Theology
Dunning, H. Ray. Grace, Faith & Holiness: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology. Kansas City,
MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8341-1219-3
Ellyson, Edgar P. Theological Compend. Chicago, Christian Witness Co., 1908.
Greathouse, William M. Wholeness in Christ: Toward a Biblical Theology of Holiness.
Grider, J. Kenneth. A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology. Beacon Hill Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0-
8341-1512-5
Hills, A.M. Fundamental Christian Theology: A Systematic Theology. 2 vols. C.J. Kinne,
1931. Vol. 1 (http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2201-2300/HDM2259.PDF) Vol. 2 (http://
wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2201-2300/HDM2260.PDF) (PDF)
Leclerc, Diane. Discovering Christian Holiness: The Heart of Wesleyan-Holiness Theology.
Oord, Thomas Jay and Michael Lodahl. Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of
Love. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2005.
Quanstrom, Mark R. A Century of Holiness Theology: The Doctrine of Entire Sanctification in
the Church of the Nazarene: 1905 to 2004. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas
City, 2004.
Taylor, Richard S. Exploring Christian Holiness, Volume 3: Theological Formulation. Kansas
City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1985.
Wiley, H. Orton. Christian Theology. 3 vols. Kansas City, MO; Beacon Hill Press, 1940,
1941, 1943.
Wynkoop, Mildred Bangs. Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology. Kansas City, MO:
Beacon Hill Press, 1972.
Wynkoop, Mildred Bangs. A Theology of Love: The Dynamic of Wesleyanism. Kansas City,
MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1972.
Quient, Nicholas Rudolph. The Perfection of Our Faithful Wills: Paul's Apocalyptic Vision of
Entire Sanctification. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2019.
External links
Official website (http://www.nazarene.org)
Church of the Nazarene (https://curlie.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Den
ominations/Church_of_the_Nazarene/) at Curlie
Church of the Nazarene: Association of Religion Data Archives (http://www.thearda.com/Den
oms/D_1441.asp)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Church_of_the_Nazarene&oldid=1177591090"

Church of The Nazarene

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Church of The Nazarene

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Church of the Nazarene

The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination that

Mission and vision

It was first recommended by Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney, a former

Bresee's west coast portion met with similar holiness churches

The First Century (1907-2008)

By 1908, there were churches in Canada and organized work in

As the Church approached its 100th anniversary, the Board of

The Second Century (2009-present)

Theology and doctrine

Distinctive Wesleyan emphases

Historical and contemporary issues

Worship and rituals

Sacraments and rituals

Church polity and leadership

Board of General Superintendents

(0.82% of the population), and Samoa (0.66% of

Ethiopia 50,361 48,304 Denominational affiliations

Ministries and activities

On October 16, 2009, the

Nazarene Youth International (NYI)

Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI)

Nazarene Missions International (NMI)

JESUS Film Harvest Partners

Work and Witness

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries

Nazarene Publishing House (NPH)

Nazarenes in pop culture

List of Church of the Nazarene schools

Comparative and Sociological

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Church_of_the_Nazarene&oldid=1177591090"

You might also like